Hungary: Juncker to be replaced with Timmermans on posters

Speaking to Die Welt, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the European left of staging the attack against his party in the European People’s Party (EPP).

According to Orban, the left is using “salami tactics” and his critics in the EPP are “useful idiots”. He said that after his government, the left will attack Italy and Austria.

Orban told Die Welt that the government’s controversial billboard campaign, which features George Soros and Jean-Claude Juncker will end on March 15. He said that Juncker will be replaced by the Spitzenkandidat of the PES, Frans Timmermans.

Earlier on Saturday, the Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations, Zoltan Kovacs reacted to EPP-Spitzenkandidat Manfred Weber’s interview in Der Spiegel, in which the Bavarian politician said that Orban should apologise for the campaign.

“The Hungarian government is prepared to listen to any criticism, but the decision of the Hungarian people is more important to us than party discipline. Hungarian people have decided on several occasions that we must protect European Christian culture and we must halt migration. Hungarians have a right to know what kind of pro-migration plans are under preparation by the Brussels bureaucracy. That’s why we undertook an information campaign, which will come to an end, according to original plans, on March 15th”, he tweeted.

The Hungarian government views the European Commission’s response to its poster campaign as “an admission of the existence of every plan Brussels has in support of immigration,” the government spokesman said on Saturday. The government will submit a detailed factual response to the EC’s position released on Feb. 28, Istvan Hollik told a press conference.

The document will take stock of pro-migration plans and decisions by Brussels that include the introduction of migrant visas and resettlement quotas, as well as curbing the border protection powers of member states, supporting organisations funded by George Soros and sanctioning countries that reject migrants, he said.

Draft laws incorporating these plans are already on the table of decision-makers in the European Commission and the European Parliament, Hollik said. Hungarians have the right to know about the plans of Brussels since at stake is Europe’s future, he said, adding that the government’s response will be made public.

In connection with Weber’s demand, Hollik said the government was ready to listen to any criticism, but the opinion of the Hungarian people was more important than party discipline. In response to demands by several EPP parties to exclude Fidesz from the party grouping, Hollik said the government’s task was to represent the Hungarian people.